Hinged roof construction for open top railway cars

ABSTRACT

An open top railway car is provided with a hinged roof construction hingedly connected to opposite sides of the railway car. The roof construction during inversion of the car in a rotary car hopper is shiftable by gravity in one direction whereupon one end of the roof is hingedly swingable relative to the car and the other hinged construction is disengaged so that the roof can automatically swing to an open position as the car is placed in an upside down dumping relation. The hinge construction includes a rotatable hook type of hinge member which drops by gravity into disengagement with respect to a hinge pin located on the lowermost hinge brackets when the car is being moved to its inverted position.

United States Patent Inventor James .I. Schuller Dolton,l1l.

Appl. No. 858,668

Filed Sept. 17, 1969 Patented June 8, 1971 Assignee Pullman Incorporated Chicago, Ill.

HINGED ROOF CONSTRUCTION FOR OPEN TOP RAILWAY CARS 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 105/377, 214/44(R) Int. Cl. 861d 39/00 Field otSearch 214/44; 105/377, 281; 16/147; 292/131, 136, 304

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorneys-Hilmond O. Vogel and Wayne Morris Russell ABSTRACT: An open top railway car is provided with a hinged roof construction hingedly connected to opposite sides of the railway car. The roof construction during inversion of the car in a rotary car hopper is shiftable by gravity in one direction whereupon one end of the roof is hingedly swingable relative to the car and the other hinged construction is disengaged so that the root can automatically swing to an open position as the car is placed in an upside down dumping relation. The hinge construction includes a rotatable hook type of hinge member which drops by gravity into disengagement with respect to a hinge pin located on the lowermost hinge brackets when the car is being moved to its inverted position.

PATENTEB JUN 8 I97! SHEET 1 BF 3 4| JAMES J. SCH

INVENTOR UL ER $1 PATENTEUJUN 8197i 3583334 sum 2 [IF 3 9 INVENTOR JAMES J. SCVULL R ATT'Y.

PATENTED JUN 8 I97! SHEET 3 BF 3 INVENTOR JAMES J. SCHULLER IIINGED ROOF CONSTRUCTION FOR OPEN TOP RAILWAY CARS SUMMARY Open top hopper cars and gondola cars frequently are unloaded by means of rotary car dumpers wherein the car is placed in an upside down or inverted position so that unloading is quick and requires no manual labor. The materials thus unloaded have in most instances been coal, ore and other materials not materially affected by the weather which thus could be transported in the open top railway car. It is a prime purpose of this invention to provide an improved roof construction readily adaptable to an open top railway car which is to be unloaded by a rotary dumper so that materials which must be protected can be shipped therein, the roof construction being automatically operable to an open position as the railway car is inverted for dumping.

The roof construction of the present improvement includes hinge members on opposite sides thereof which include a rotatable hook member. The hook members on one side of the roof are engageable with hinge pins provided on one side of the car so as to permit hinging of the roof construction when the car is in the process of being rotated in a rotary dumper. As the car is being rotated pivoted hook members on the other side of the roof are automatically released by gravity from hinging engagement with hinge pins located on the other side of the car so that the roof can then swing to an open position and the car can be dumped. As the car is moved and returned to an upright position the roof assumes its normal position over the open end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a railway car positioned in a rotary car dumper;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hinge construction for the roof of the railway car shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through a roof construction and an upper portion of a railway car;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a railway car and roof construction therefor during movement to a dump position;

FIG. 5 is a similar view to FIG. 4 showing another position of a railway car and roof construction;

FIG. 6 is a detail operational view in cross section showing cooperating hinge members in the process of being released;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevational view through a hinge construction; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring particularly to FIG. 1, an open top railway hopper car is generally designated by the reference character 10. The railway car 10 comprises vertical sidewalls 11 each of which is provided at its upper end with formed members 12 which include a vertical longitudinally extending wall portion 13, a horizontal wall 14, and a vertical flange 15 terminating in a lip or curved end 16. End walls 17 on opposite ends of the car are suitably connected to the sidewalls 11. As best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 the members 12 are suitably connected at opposite ends by means of transversely extending reinforcing members 18.

As shown in FIG. I a rotary car dumper is designated at 19 and includes a suitable frame 20. The dumper 19 may be of a conventional design which includes clamping arms 21 adapted to suitably embrace and clamp the ends of the car 10 so that it may be rotated by means ofa suitable turnover mechanism 22.

A roof construction for closing the upper open end of the railway car 10 is designated at 23 and comprises a roof 24. The roof 24 is formed ofa longitudinally extending relatively flat roof sheet 25 which is provided at its outer ends with downwardly extending flanges 26. The roof sheet 25 is also provided at opposite ends with end walls 27 as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The vertical flanges 15 are also connected at opposite ends of the car by means of upper end wall portions 28.

As best shown in FIGS. 1,2, 7 and 8 upper hinge members 29 are connected to opposite ends of the roof 24. Each upper hinge member 29 comprises a bracket 30 having outwardly projecting spaced fingers 31 terminating in vertical end portions 32. Each of the spaced fingers 31 includes lower converging surfaces terminating in an apex and providing a surface 33 of inverted generally V-shaped configuration. Hinge pins 34 are suitably rigidly connected within bores 35 provided in the fingers 31. Second fingers 36 each includes a bore 37 which provides for hinging movement on the hinge pins 34. Each finger 36 is also provided with an inwardly turned hook portion 38 having a curved inner surface 39 conforming generally to the configuration of a portion of the surface 33. The hook portion 38 is provided with a flat end 40.

Lower hinge members as best shown in FIGS. I and 2 are designated at 41 and are suitably connected to the sidewalls 11 by means of the upper frame members 12. Each lower hinge member 41 comprises a pair of spaced hinged brackets 42 which include aligned bores 43 in which a longitudinally extending hinge pin 44 is provided.

THE OPERATION FIG. 3 shows the roof 24 in a closed position relative to the open top of the railway car 10. In this position the hinge pins 44 are in engagement with the apices of the converging surface 33 and thus the weight of the roof prevents lateral shifting. In the event of an unusual side force on the car the fingers 31 would limit any extensive lateral shifting movement. Since the vertical end portions 32 of the fingers 31 terminate laterally outwardly with respect to a vertical centerline through the apices of the surface 33, they do not restrain vertical movement of the roof. Upward movement of the roof would be restrained by the hook portions 38 of fingers 36. Thus the roof is in a closed position for protecting the load contained within the car.

When the railway car 10 is rotated in the rotary car dumper 19 to the position shown in FIG. 4 the roof has shifted by gravity and the hinge members 29 (shown at the top of FIG. 4) are supported on the associated hinge pins 44. This support is achieved by the engagement of the ends of fingers 31 which function to also support the vertical loads occasioned by the weight ofthe hanging roof and the hinged fingers 36 have their inwardly turned hook portions 38 disposed around the hinge pin 44 so that the door is positively hingedly supported on each of the hinge members 44. As shown in FIG. 4, the hinge members 29 (disposed at the lower portion of FIG. 4) are disengaged from the hinge members 44 since the finger 36 and hook portion 38 have pivoted free of the hinge members 44 by gravity. Thus the car shown in FIG. 5 now continues to its upside down inverted position while the roof 24 hangs vertically in disconnected open relation. The end portions 32 of fingers 31 because of their short length cannot interfere with opening of the roof during inversion by accidentally engaging the lower hinge pin 44 in FIG. 4. Thus also since the finger 36 is free to fall away by gravity, positive opening is assured even though construction tolerances of the car and roof may vary greatly.

FIG. 6 discloses another feature of the pivoted finger 36. In the event that the hook 36 does not pivot freely as a result of gravity during rotation of the car 10, the hinge member 44 engages the flat end 40 of the finger 36 thus pivoting said'finger 36 to its disengaged position. Thus a positive means is provided to disengage the finger 36 in the event that it does not move freely by gravity.

After the car has been dumped and it returns to its vertical position the roof again assumes the position shown in FIG. 3.

Iclaim:

l. A railway car having laterally spaced sidewalls providing a discharge opening for the discharge of material during inversion of said car;

a roof assembly including a roof adapted to close said opening comprising:

first hinge bracket means connected to said roof on opposite sides thereof, each said bracket means including a first finger having a pair of lower surfaces converging in an apex to provide a generally V-shaped configuration,

said first finger having a curved end portion extending downwardly in hooklike configuration and terminating outwardly with respect to a vertical centerline through said apex during the upright position of said car,

second hinge bracket means on said sidewalls adjacent said discharge opening and each including longitudinally extending hinge pins seated within said apices in said upright position to maintain said roof in centered relation,

said curved end portion of said first finger limiting lateral movement ot'said roofin said upright position,

a second finger pivotally connected to each said first bracket means for swinging mov ement outwardly and inwardly relative to said sidewalls,

said second finger having a downwardly and inwardly extending hook portion the end pf which terminates underneath a hinge pin substantially adjacent said vertical centerline through said apex in said upright position,

said hook portions being adapted to engage said hinge pins to restrain said roof against relative vertical movement in said upright position, and

said hook-shaped portion of a second finger on one side of said car hingedly engaging an adjacent hinge pin during rotation of said car to an inverted position, whereby said second finger on an opposite side of said car is pivoted by gravity to a disengaged position relative to said other hinge pin and said roof is disposed out of the way of said opening.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1,

said hook portion of said second finger conforming generally in shape to said curved end portion of said first finger,

said pivotal connections each including a longitudinally extending second hinge pin connected to said first finger.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 2,

said second hinge pin being disposed above said first hinge pin.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 3,

said roof being laterally shiftable on said lower surfaces of said first fingers. 

1. A railway car having laterally spaced sidewalls providing a discharge opening for the discharge of material during inversion of said car; a roof assembly including a roof adapted to close said opening comprising: first hinge bracket means connected to said roof on opposite sides thereof, each said bracket means including a first finger having a pair of lower surfaces converging in an apex to provide a generally V-shaped configuration, said first finger having a curved end portion extending downwardly in hooklike configuration and terminating outwardly with respect to a vertical centerline through said apex during the upright position of said car, second hinge bracket means on said sidewalls adjacent said discharge opening and each including longitudinally extending hinge pins seated within said apices in said upright position to maintain said roof in centered relation, said curved end portion of said first finger limiting lateral movement of said roof in said upright position, a second finger pivotally connected to each said first bracket means for swinging movement outwardly and inwardly relative to said sidewalls, said second finger having a downwardly and inwardly extending hook portion the end of which terminates underneath a hinge pin substantially adjacent said vertical centerline through said apex in said upright position, said hook portions being adapted to engage said hinge pins to restrain said roof against relative vertical movement in said upright position, and said hook-shaped portion of a second finger on one side of said car hingedly engaging an adjacent hinge pin during rotation of said car to an inverted position, whereby said second finger on an opposite side of said car is pivoted by gravity to a disengaged position relative to said other hinge pin and said roof is disposed out of the way of said opening.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said hook portion of said second finger conforming generally in shape to said curved end portion of said first finger, said pivotal connections each including a longitudinally extending second hinge pin connected to said first finger.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 2, said second hinge pin being disposed above said first hinge pin.
 4. The invention in accordance with claim 3, said roof being laterally shiftable on said lower surfaces of said first fingers. 